Community-Based Peace Actors and the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence Among Displaced Minors in Katsina Metropolis.

Abstract:

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a critical protection challenge among displaced minors in Katsina Metropolis, where insecurity, poverty, and disrupted social structures heighten vulnerability. This study examines how survival-based coping strategies, including sexual exploitation, emerge from structural vulnerabilities such as economic hardship and weakened protection systems. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected from survivor narratives, interviews with community-based peace actors, and civil society organizations (CSOs) engaged in GBV prevention and response. Findings show that community-based peace actors play key roles in identifying at-risk minors, providing rescue and temporary protection, mediating disputes, and coordinating referrals to formal support services. Collaboration between community institutions and CSOs strengthens survivor pathways but is constrained by stigma, limited resources, and delays in formal mechanisms. The study argues that GBV prevention should be treated as a local peacebuilding priority. Key recommendations include strengthening community-based peace mechanisms, integrating GBV prevention into peace and security programming, expanding food, shelter, and psychosocial support for displaced girls, and enhancing coordination among government, donors, and local actors to sustain protective systems.